In renovations like this one, numerous factors play a huge role in deciding what is renovated, what materials are used, and what construction/design strategies are selected. CFS Arquitectes met the following complications with this Barcelona home: a tight budget, a short construction schedule, and a north-east orientation of the row house. Therefore, the design team redesigned the home to include: a skylight permitting passive solar gain and natural daylight, a cost-effective prefabricated dry construction system to speed up the construction schedule, and multiple active, energy –efficient systems to lower the project’s environmental impact.

The beautiful modern interior of this renovation is a result of the prefabricated construction system and bio-construction materials used throughout the home. OSB panels with natural sheep wool and wood-fiber boards were used for the roof and exterior façade for insulation. The warm wood materiality throughout the design includes natural larch wood and heat-treated pine wood. The interior materiality includes 3 ply shuttering panels and linoleum for the flooring. Large floor-to-ceiling operable, window walls provide daylight and ventilation to these interior spaces while warming the color of the floor and wood through natural light.

This simple, clean design inspires living with a smaller carbon footprint. It is a wonderfully inviting home that lowered its energy demand from 171 kWh/m2a to 17 kWh/m2a. This rehabilitation is a great example of Passive House architecture and we hope to see more like it in the future.